Bismah Maroof set to return as Pakistan captain

All-rounder Bismah Maroof has been named as Pakistan captain ahead of West Indies series, which will be part of the ICC Women's Championship.

The 27-year-old had undergone a serious surgery last year. In her absence, Javeria Khan led the team as a stand-in at the 2018 ICC Women's World T20 in the Caribbean. Javeria continued to head the team even after Bismah returned.

"Star batter Bismah Maroof returns to lead the side after undergoing successful surgery," ICC quoted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), as saying on Wednesday.

A camp in Karachi is scheduled from January 17 to 29 ahead of the three-match ODIs in February in the UAE, which will be followed by T20Is. The venue for the shortest format, however, is not yet official.

"The series will be a perfect opportunity for the players to test their skills against a top side. The players during the two-week camp will undergo different skill sessions with the coaching staff and will also play practice games that will help them improve their fitness and skill set," coach Mark Coles said.

"The players selected for the camp have been playing together for a while. Seasoned performers like Sana Mir, Javeria Khan, Nida Dar and the fit-again Bismah Maroof are crucial to our plans as we look forward to playing a tough series against the West Indies," Coles added.

Pakistan are at the sixth position on the Championship table after nine matches. They finished at the fourth place in their group in the recent ICC Women's World T20.

Following are the 20-probables selected for the camp:

Bismah Maroof, Aiman Anwar, Anum Amin, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Bibi Nahida, Diana Baig, Iram Javed, Jaweria Rauf, Javeria Wadood, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Nida Rashid, Omaima Sohail, Saba Nazir, Sana Mir, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz.